The Grand Finals – Interview With The NA Teams

eLevate is a professional gaming organization that fields some of the top teams in the world across its many games. In World of Tanks specifically they now field two WGLNA Gold League teams with eLevate Black currently holding the title of WGLNA Champions. Outside dedication to winning, both eLevate teams strive to give an open and honest look into what it’s like to play games professionally. They achieve this through constant media production on MLG.tv and YouTube. As always none of this would be possible without the support of our fans and sponsors like Razer, Scuf, Kontrol Freek, G Fuel, G2A, Multiplay, and Esportsify.

Personal Questions

Can you introduce yourself?My name is Jonathan “zoidbergenstein” Pickard and in game you can find me as zoidbergenstein or just zoid if I need something shorter.

When did you start playing World of Tanks?I started playing World of Tanks in February of 2014 so I’ve been playing for just over a year.

When did you join the team?I initially started the team that would become eLevate as soon as we started playing World of Tanks. Burn All Empires was created well before that and it wasn’t until the merger at the start of the Season 5 that I began playing with those guys under the team name eLevate Black

What is your favourite World of Tanks map and why?I really enjoy Himmelsdorf for public play. It lets me use the tanks I really enjoy playing like the 50 100. Steppes is my favourite competitive map because of the crazy strategies we employ on that map

What is your favourite tank and why?The 50 100 is my favourite tank but right now the T-54 lw is a close second. The 50 100 is such a dynamic tank it can do almost anything. It has enough speed that it can flank and switch sides of a map but at the same time can brawl in a city. It also punishes so hard anytime you catch a tank in the open.

How would you describe your role in the team?My role on the team since merging into eLevate Black has been more of a passive guidance and media role. I also come out and play the artillery on several maps when we need it.

What does it take to be an eSports pro?A lot of dedication and the understanding that this will be your life for the time you decide to do it. After 11 years of professional and competitive gaming I feel like I’ve got the routine down but I still spend 6+ hours a day making sure I’m on my game.

What makes World of Tanks a unique competitive/gaming experience?World of Tanks is like no other game. 7v7 and a genre defying experience make it completely unique from any other game.

What are your eSports goals?My goal since starting World of Tanks has been to bring the NA scene to Europe and Russia. I want to show them what we are capable of.

How did people react when you told them you were to become an eSports pro?The reaction wasn’t too bad for me. I only decided to do this after playing in a world championship so I knew I could compete at that level. I still got some weird looks when people asked me what I did for a living and I would say “I play video games”.

How do you prepare yourself before a big match/tournament?Practice Practice Practice Practice. That’s my routine. Everybody does something different but for me I can’t practice enough. Once you get to the event, practicing becomes much harder so I try to make up for the fact that I can’t practice every day at the event by practicing even harder before it.

Are there any lucky rituals that you have to give you a better chance for victory?I like to try and remove the idea of luck from a tournament. To me, the teams that got where they have been got there because of skill not luck. I try to clear my mind and tell myself the better team will win, not the team with the most luck on their side.

Team Questions

How did you become involved with your team?I have been involved with eLevate from the beginning. We started playing as NUC, got sponsored by Exertus, then Exertus merged with eLevate, and finally the merger with Burn All Empires happened.

How long have you been with your team?I have been with eLevate for just over a year and with eLevate Black since the start of Season 5.

When and how did you get into World of Tanks?I started playing World of Tanks with the NUC guys in February of 2014. We started playing to try to get into the eSports scene and haven’t looked back since.

How did you transition from the amateur to the pro scene?We always had the intention of making it into the pro scene. The original eLevate roster started really strong but started to taper off as we were entering the WGLNA Silver League for Season 5. The merger with Burn All Empires though put us in a strong position for our championship run.

How does the team prepare for a big battle/tournament?We study hard. We watch a lot of game film, come up with strats that other teams don’t know how to deal with, and practice them to perfection.

Are there any lucky rituals the team have to give you a better chance for victory?I don’t think we really have lucky rituals as a team.

What is one of your most memorable team moments?My most memorable moment as a team was definitely when we won Season 5. I don’t think there can be many more memorable moments than that short of going on and winning at the Global Grand Finals.

What are your goals as a team?We have a lot of goals but I’ll list my top 3. Continue to be a dominant force in North America, bring North American World of Tanks to the rest of the world, and help increase the fan base of the WGLNA.

What makes a successful team?Hard work and smart work are what make a team successful. A team can work as hard as they want but if they aren’t working smart they won’t ever be successful. At the same time, a team can work smart but if they don’t work hard they will never reach the top. The teams that continue to win are the teams that work hard and work smart.

RUlette is a Russian speaking team from the North America region. Unlike the majority of other teams going to the Grand Finals, we’re more of a casual team. We view World of Tanks as a hobby instead of a job or high priority and regardless of what happens, will be keeping this attitude. We are happy and excited to be going to Poland for the Grand Finals. We don't really have any pressure or expectations as almost everyone views us as a huge underdog. Nevertheless, just as any team, we want to succeed and prove that we belong on the world stage along with every other team at the finals.

Personal Questions

Can you introduce yourself?Kyrill "GameIsRigged" Rekun

When did you start playing World of Tanks?January 2012

When did you join the team?Whenever "Major/Minor" League first came to NA

What is your favourite World of Tanks map and why?Steppes. In general, I like open maps with lots of room to manoeuvre and many viable ways of approaching the map.

What is your favourite tank and why?T1 forever

How would you describe your role in the team?I'm more of the manager that has to deal with all the different personalities and egos while keeping the team on track as a whole.

What does it take to be an eSports pro?Mostly sacrificing your time and keeping a dedication to do something day after day, pretty much like a job.

What are your eSports goals?World of Tanks is a hobby at most so having fun, maybe making some money and getting free trips is always fun.

How did people react when you told them you were to become an eSports pro?I don't view myself as an eSports pro. Tanks is a hobby and it will remain simply that.

Are there any lucky rituals that you have to give you a better chance for victory?The moment we as a team say screw it and stop practicing, we perform better.

Team Questions

How did you become involved with your team?Got tired of random matches and decided to play tournaments, eventually I made a team when 7/42 first came to NA.

How long have you been with your team?Been with the core guys together for about a year.

How did you transition from the amateur to the pro scene?To me, it wasn't anything special just having to come to the realisation that I need to invest more time.

How does the team prepare for a big battle/tournament?We like to relax and go into a match without any pressure. Studying some film and having a small walkthrough. Planning our tactics helps.

Are there any lucky rituals the team have to give you a better chance for victory?When we stop caring and yell screw this, we usually tend to do better.

What is one of your most memorable team moments?Raging out during a match in Season 4 WGLNA. Stopping all practices and then winning every match that matters all the way to winning the final.

What are your goals as a team?Our main goal is for Season 6. We couldn't get our true roster to come to Poland. We ended up having to bring subs. We are here simply for the experience. If we do well, that's great, but if we don't, we have no pressure.

What makes a successful team?Cohesion, dedication, and a desire to get better.